Coverage of today's Cards and Phillies game can be heard on Newstalk 97.3 WTIM beginning at 6:40pm

St.  Louis,  MO (SportsNetwork.com)  - David Buchanan  pitched into the eighth 
inning and Ryan Howard drove in three runs as the Philadelphia Phillies opened 
a four-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 4-1 win. 

Buchanan  (3-3) allowed  one run on four  hits with a walk and four strikeouts 
over  7  2/3 innings,  while Howard  hit a two-run  home run  and added an RBI 
single for the Phillies, who have won a season-high four straight games. 

"He rose to the occassion and I think he has that kind of makeup and that kind 
of character," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said of Buchanan. 

Chase Utley was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored for Philadelphia, which has 
been victorious in its first four games of a seven-game road trip, and has won 
eight of 10, overall. 

Matt  Carpenter drove  in a run while  Shelby Miller (7-6) was touched for all 
four  runs on  seven hits over 6  2/3 innings for the Cardinals, who have lost 
their past two games. 

"I  felt  good but  at the same  time I  didn't make the  best pitches at some 
points. I left the ball over the middle at times," Miller said. 

St.  Louis had  men on  the corners  in the  second with  one out,  but Jhonny 
Peralta struck out and Kolten Wong lined out to end the frame. 

The  Phillies went  on top  in the  fourth inning  as Carlos  Ruiz doubled  to 
lead  off and  Utley followed with a  single to put runners on the corners for 
Howard, who singled to right to bring home Ruiz. Domonic Brown later flied out 
to right, scoring Utley for a 2-0 lead. 

Philadelphia  added  to its advantage in  the sixth, as Utley singled with one 
out  and Howard  followed with a shot just  over the wall in left for his 14th 
home run and a 4-0 lead. 

Miller  doubled to  start the  sixth,  but Buchanan  set down  the next  three 
batters to keep St. Louis off the board. 

The Cardinals finally got through in the eighth, as Peralta walked to lead off 
the inning and later moved to second on a Mark Ellis groundout. Carpenter then 
punched a single to right to make it a 4-1 game. 

Jake Diekman took the hill and got Jon Jay to fly out and end the inning. 

Jonathan  Papelbon set  the Cardinals down in  order in the ninth for his 17th 
save of the season. 

                                   Game Notes 

Philadelphia third baseman Reid Brignac left the game after injuring his ankle 
on  a  groundout in the fifth  inning ... The Cardinals won five of the seven 
games  against  the Phillies last season  ... Philly last won four straight on 
the road from Aug. 18-Sept. 1, 2012.